If anyone got into a top-selling vehicle from the 1950’s, they would find the ride very uncomfortable and quite dangerous. We build cars with better suspension and braking systems today. It is the same with electrical and electronic goods. Valve radios sat alongside turntables playing 78s, while computers filling small buildings were less powerful than today's palmtops. Yet we still confidently use a drug which received its FDA approval in 1959. Actually, this is not so uncommon. Penicillin and other antibiotics have been around for a lot longer. Chemistry and the human body’s reaction to drugs do not change as fast. What works well when invented often continues to work well.
Of all the drugs that have come on to the market for weight loss, phentermine is the one that has proved to have the fewest problems. Doctors like to use big words. They say phentermine is well-tolerated. That means the majority of people take it without experiencing any serious side effects. This does not mean there are never any adverse effects. Every prescription-only drug is a balance of benefits and costs. But, in phentermine’s case, the benefits have so consistently outweighed the costs, most doctors prescribe it for weight loss without any real concerns in the majority of cases.
There are, however, two situations in which there can be concerns. The first affects pregnancy and the use of the drug immediately after birth while nursing a new-born baby. The advice is usually to avoid taking phentermine during this time. The second issue arises when the overweight person has already shown up as a possible addict. People who have trouble dealing with alcohol or who have abused drugs (whether prescription or street) should not start phentermine. The risks of dependence are high in such people. |
